Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method and an image capture apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in finder display of image capture apparatuses that use an image sensor, a function (sometimes referred to as a focus assist function) for making it easy to visually recognize in-focus areas is known. As a typical focus assist function, peaking (which may also be referred to as contour correction, edge enhancement, enhancer, focusing or the like) that displays high-frequency components of a shot image with emphasis is known (Japanese Patent No. 4474641).
Meanwhile, for ease of recognizing emphasized or highlighted areas, it has been suggested to lower the image signal level in a focus area, display a focus area in black and white (Japanese Patent No. 4977047), or display, in black and white, areas of which the level of high-frequency components is less than a certain level (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-74549).
However, in all of these conventional techniques, the strength of the emphasis effect depends on the magnitude of the high-frequency components included in an image, and thus there has been a problem in that in an area that has fewer high-frequency components (the level or the amplitude of the high-frequency components is smaller) such as a low-luminance area, the emphasis effect is weak and difficult to distinguish. In addition, there has also been a problem in that in the case where an area having many high-frequency components has high luminance, the area is blown out due to the provision of an emphasis effect, and it is difficult to distinguish the emphasis effect.
Moreover, for ease of recognizing emphasized or highlighted areas, adding a color to an emphasis portion has also been suggested (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-196255). However, in the case of applying a specific color to an emphasis portion, if the image includes a large number of high-frequency components, the entire screen becomes colored in the color of the emphasis portion, and thus there has been a problem in that it becomes difficult to recognize the in-focus state, and the user cannot perceive the original color of the object any longer.